New from Orange Box is a fine combination of a Soviet surface warship and an American nuclear-powered submarine. The 1:700 scale vessels in question are the Admiral Nakhimov and USS Dallas (SSN-700). The former is a 24,300-ton Kirov-class battlecruiser that’s still serving in the Russian Navy. Beaten in size only by aircraft carriers, this Soviet vessel is huge, even in 1:700 scale. The third ship in this Kirov class, it was originally named Kalinin. It entered service with the Northern Fleet at the end of 1988, and was renamed Admiral Nakhimov after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was reactivated in 2005 after being mothballed for a time, and is currently being overhauled. Main weapons aboard the nuclear-powered battlecruiser are 20 P-700 Granit (SS-N-19) Shipwreck missiles.

The American counterpart in this twin set is USS Dallas, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine. This US Navy boat was commissioned in 1981, and its initial duties were in the research and development area. However, since 1988 it has been part of Submarine Squadron Two based in Connecticut, and the submarine has conducted numerous deployments to places like the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and North Atlantic. More recently USS Dallas has been fitted with a Dry Deck Shelter that allows deployment of Swimmer Delivery Vehicles by special forces teams. These two interesting vessels – a Russian and an American – are a valuable addition to the Orange Box range of ships. Outfitted with brand new Cartograf decals, this pair of ships is offered at a very reasonable price and with an outstanding level of quality!